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Speak up for nature this election & join us at a Candidate Debates near you!

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Speak up for nature & join us at a Candidates Debate near you!

Sept. 9, 2024

Our Nature & Climate debates bring candidates in your riding together to discuss conservation, climate policy, and environmental issues. Hear what they have to say, ask candidates questions directly, and make your community’s concerns heard this election. This debate is co-hosted with local youth from our Young Leaders in Conservation Program (YLICP). Young people are especially encouraged to attend and participate. CPAWS-BC will be moderating the debates and asking candidates about their positions on various environmental issues, followed by an open audience Q&A.

Join us for food and refreshments when doors open, at no charge. Please come mingle and share your views with the candidates. Register now to save your seat!

Find a Candidates Debate near you!

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Reflections on Our Journey to a 4-Day Work Week

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Due to the 4-day work week, staff have been able to spend more time in nature, such as watching this family of badgers.
Due to the 4-day work week, staff have been able to spend more time in nature, such as watching this family of badgers.

Reflections on Our Journey to a 4-Day Work Week

August 28, 2024 – by Meaghen McCord, Executive Director

Back in March, we embarked on an ambitious journey—one that fundamentally challenged the traditional work model many of us have been accustomed to. We transitioned to a 4-day, 32-hour work week (4DWW) with the hope of enhancing work-life balance, reducing burnout, and maintaining our commitment to protecting British Columbia’s wilderness. As promised, we’re sharing an update with our supporters and community on how this experiment is unfolding. Today, as we reach the end of our pilot, we’re excited to share the impact this change has had on our team and the insights we’ve gained along the way.


A Breath of Fresh Air: Positive Impacts So Far

The results from our midpoint evaluation have been nothing short of encouraging. Since the pilot’s inception, we’ve seen significant improvements in several key areas:

  • Work-Life Balance: Our team’s work-life balance has improved significantly. The extra day off has provided more time for personal activities, health, and spending time with loved ones. Sarah, for instance, has found more quality time with her family, reconnecting with what matters most.
  • Reduced Burnout: The shift has also led to a significant reduction in feelings of burnout. Staff are returning to work refreshed and more focused, which has been instrumental in enhancing overall job performance. Max spent one of the Fridays, instead of sitting behind a desk, watching a family of badgers play, reinforcing his passion for conservation.
  • Maintaining Effectiveness: Despite the shorter work week, our team’s effectiveness remains strong. Staff’s rating for CPAWS-BC as an effective organization increased, and job performance ratings also saw a slight uptick.
  • Health and Well-being: We’ve also noticed improvements in physical health and opportunities for recreation and leisure, contributing to significant long-term benefits for our people and our organization.

 

Celebrating Conservation Wins

While we’ve been focusing on work-life balance and team well-being, we haven’t lost sight of our core mission—conservation. In fact, the past few months have been marked by some incredible conservation wins including:

  • Biggest Park Expansion in Over a Decade: We’re proud to have been part of the effort leading to the largest BC parks expansion in over a decade, which will protect critical habitat for the southern mountain caribou. This expansion is a major victory for biodiversity and a testament to the power of collaborative conservation efforts. Read more about this milestone here.
  • A New Marine Protected Area: We’ve also been instrumental in the announcement of a new Marine Protected Area (MPA) off the coast of BC, which is four times the size of Vancouver Island. This new MPA is a groundbreaking step forward in safeguarding vital marine ecosystems and ensuring the health of our oceans for future generations. Learn more about this significant achievement here.
  • Successful Campaigns: Beyond these major milestones, several of our conservation campaigns have seen significant progress. Our ability to engage in deep, focused work during the shortened week has played a key role in these successes.

These wins are a testament to the dedication and passion of our team, proving that even with a shorter work week, we can achieve great things for the environment and our communities.

 

Challenges and Collaborative Solutions

While the overall sentiment has been positive, we’ve also faced some challenges particularly during shortened weeks where additional office closures due to holidays or absences have made it difficult for some to manage workloads. Professional development, especially our ongoing Justice, Equity, Diversity, and Inclusion (JEDI) efforts, has been more challenging to prioritize within the compressed schedule.

In response, we’ve made a few immediate adjustments, such as revising our guidelines around off-hours communication and time-in-lieu management. We’re also considering further solutions, like more flexible working hours and specific, protected time slots for professional development and JEDI learning. These adjustments will help us address the challenges while staying true to our commitment to a 32-hour work week.

 

Looking Forward: A Shared Vision

As we continue our journey, we remain committed to listening, learning, and adapting. The next few months will be crucial as we wrap up the pilot in September and conduct a comprehensive evaluation. Our goal is to present thoughtful recommendations to our board on how to move forward together in a way that balances team well-being with our mission and commitment to biodiversity and effective conservation.

We promised to keep our supporters and community informed, and we’re thankful for your ongoing interest and encouragement. If you have thoughts on our 4DWW pilot, or if you’d like to get involved in our latest conservation campaigns, we invite you to reach out—we’d love to hear from you. Together, we can continue to push boundaries and make a lasting impact on our beautiful province.

We’ll be sharing our final recommendations and decisions regarding the future of the 4DWW later this year. Until then, we remain optimistic and committed to finding the best balance for our team and our mission.

Thank you for being part of this journey with us. We look forward to continuing to share our progress with you.

 

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CPAWS-BC celebrates $49M federal investment to advance nature-based climate solutions in BC

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CPAWS-BC celebrates $49M federal investment to advance nature-based climate solutions in BC New funding will advance the goal of protecting 30% of lands by 2030 while bolstering community resilience to climate change

July 18, 2024

Unceded territories of the Coast Salish Peoples/Vancouver, BC – The Canadian Parks and Wilderness Society, British Columbia is celebrating a $49 million federal investment to address climate change through nature conservation in BC. This funding is focused on thousands of hectares of carbon-rich ecosystems such as grasslands, wetlands, mature forests and overlapping with habitat for species at risk such as grizzly bears and Marbled Murrelets.

“We are thrilled to see this massive investment into the protection of nature in BC,” says Tori Ball, Conservation Director for the Land & Freshwater Program with CPAWS-BC. “This funding has the potential to make a massive impact by protecting ecologically and culturally important ecosystems that hold and sequester carbon while benefitting clean water, air and wildlife.”

The funds were announced on July 18 by Steven Guilbeault, Minister of Environment and Climate Change Canada and are part of the federal Nature Smart Climate Solutions Fund. The three successful BC recipients are:

  • $37 million will go to the BC Parks Foundation to protect 4,000 hectares of private land
  • $8 million will go to the Nature Trust of British Columbia to create 11 new protected areas
  • $4 million will go to Nuxálk Nation to protect private land in the Great Bear Rainforest

The announcement follows a heat wave which saw 37 heat records broken in BC, with multiple places clocking highs over 40C. Natural climate solutions such as protecting areas from land use changes, namely development or resource extraction, are a proven and lower-cost way to capture or reduce greenhouse gas emissions. These actions must also be paired with the reduction of fossil fuel emissions to avoid the worst effects of climate change.

“We know that protecting carbon-rich and intact ecosystems such as grasslands and mature forests is a proven way to protect species at risk while increasing the resiliency to wildfires, floods and drought which is increasingly important in a warming world,” continued Ball. “We also know that these solutions are most effective when put in place with the leadership of First Nations knowledge and direction on land use within their territories.”

This comes just a few weeks after the release of a new survey which found overwhelming support for nature protection amongst British Columbians with 85% supporting the provincial commitment to protect 30% by 2030.

“It is clear that people across BC want to see the government use available resources and tools to protect and connect landscapes that nurture people, wildlife and the essential services that ecosystems provide. This must be done in partnership with First Nations who are already putting forward bold plans to protect their traditional territories,” said Ball.


For interviews contact:
Max Winkelman
Communications Manager
max@cpawsbc.org
604-685-7445 x3

Additional resources:
REPORT: Protected Areas as a Nature-Based Climate Solution

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First and long-overdue plan for the coast moves BC toward ocean health

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First and long-overdue plan for the coast moves BC toward ocean health

July 11, 2024

Unceded, traditional, and ancestral Xʷməθkʷəy̓əm (Musqueam), Sḵwx̱wú7mesh (Squamish), and səlilwətaɬ (Tsleil-Waututh) territories / Vancouver, BC – BC is joining other coastal regions in North America with the release of its first and much-needed Coastal Marine Strategy, which will provide BC with better tools to deal with cumulative impacts on the coast and ensure healthier oceans for both nature and people.  

“The absence of a Coastal Marine Strategy until this point has resulted in a lack of cohesion and jurisdictional confusion that harms ocean biodiversity, the people who live on the coast and the stability of the jobs they depend on,” says Kate MacMillan, Conservation Director – Ocean Program at the Canadian Parks and Wilderness Society – British Columbia (CPAWS-BC). “A strong Coastal Marine Strategy, co-developed with First Nations, is long overdue and we’re hopeful that it will lead to a better future for nature and coastal prosperity.”

The “made-in-BC” Coastal Marine Strategy was co-developed by First Nations and the BC government with input from nearly 1,000 people during the public consultation, as well as meetings with coastal stakeholders from fishing, forestry, tourism and conservation sectors.

“In order for a coastal strategy to be successful, it’s critical that it protects and restores marine ecosystems, including coordinated monitoring and incorporating nature-based solutions along the coast in a way that enables coastal communities to flourish and respects the rights and leadership of First Nations. The input of people across BC in shaping the strategy will undoubtedly aid in that goal.” 

Until now, British Columbia has remained one of the only coastal regions in North America without a unifying and strategic plan to protect and manage the coast. 

“Now, with the release of this strategy, we have the opportunity to transition from being reactive to proactive when it comes to making decisions that impact the future of the coast,” added MacMillan.

CPAWS-BC and West Coast Environmental Law have been working together on Blueprint for the Coast, a campaign to find a solution to the issue of BC’s coastal and marine areas being regulated through a patchwork of ministries and departments, with no overarching vision to guide decisions. We have brought people together to learn about coastal issues and to investigate how a coast-wide strategy and law will help to address these issues, as we work together for a healthy, abundant future for the coast and all those who depend on it. 

The strategy also commits the Province to partnering with First Nations to develop a proposal for coastal marine legislation, a key focus for the Blueprint for the Coast campaign.

“The release of British Columbia’s first Coastal Marine Strategy is an exciting step towards biodiverse, resilient marine ecosystems that can mitigate and adapt to the impacts of climate change and provide a respite for species at risk, ensuring their abundance for generations to come. The Strategy holds the promise of advancing meaningful acts of reconciliation, through Indigenous marine spatial planning, Indigenous Protected and Conserved Areas, and coastal Guardian programs,” said Georgia Lloyd-Smith, Staff Lawyer at West Coast Environmental Law.

The groups say that the release of the strategy is the start of a new path and a better future for the coastal marine environment across BC.

“It will help protect biodiversity, the well-being of coastal communities, and the stability of over 170,000 ocean-based jobs,” said Lloyd-Smith. “Now with this holistic vision that has a 20-year outlook, the work begins on the actions outlined in the plan to ensure the goals of a healthy coast, resilience to climate change, thriving coastal economies and communities and informed governance are met.”  

 

For interviews, contact: 

Max Winkelman (he/him)
Communications Manager, CPAWS-BC
max@cpawsbc.org 
604-685-7445 ext. 3

 

Georgia Lloyd-Smith (she/her)
Staff Lawyer, West Coast Environmental Law
glsmith@wcel.org
604-817-3940

 

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Largest BC Parks expansion in over a decade will protect habitat for Southern Mountain Caribou

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Largest BC Parks expansion in over a decade will protect habitat for Southern Mountain Caribou

Klinse-za/Twin Sisters Park expansion adds over 170,000 hectares, a welcomed step for caribou and collaborative conservation

June 14, 2024

Unceded territories of the Coast Salish Peoples/Vancouver, BC – A significant park expansion added in critical Peace Region caribou habitat is welcomed by the Canadian Parks and Wilderness Society – British Columbia. The 170,000 hectare Klinse-za Park expansion will result in the largest provincial park established in B.C. in a decade.

The expansion of the Klinse-za/Twin Sisters Provincial Park is for about five times the Park’s current size, and over twice the size of Manning Park. The expansion stems from a 2020 Partnership Agreement between the federal and provincial governments and West Moberly and Saulteau First Nations which established conservation commitments for endangered Southern Mountain Caribou.

“Protecting the habitat and foods that caribou depend on is key to long-term both caribou and community health, this park expansion is much awaited and welcomed for this iconic species,” says Tori Ball, Conservation Director – Lands & Freshwater Program at CPAWS-BC. “West Moberly and Saulteau First Nations are leaders in caribou conservation efforts and the formal protection of this important caribou habitat is a testament to their perseverance and leadership to secure a future for these important species.”

The area is home to the central group of Southern Mountain Caribou, consisting of five remaining herds. Recovery efforts, led by the West Moberly and Saulteau First Nations, have seen the Klinse-za herd rebound from just 16 animals in 2013 to over 100.

Caribou are in trouble, with many herds in BC at risk of disappearing due to an onslaught of resource development. Securing long-term protection of their habitat is key to their survival. Protecting caribou habitat will also benefit other wildlife species, and help ensure healthy ecosystems for all residents of BC.

Caribou require large intact and connected areas to thrive and function as an indicator species, letting us know the health of the forests and ecosystems they inhabit. Protecting caribou habitat in turn benefits many other species as well as the ecosystems that we all depend on.

“This park expansion will have positive impacts for the health of the surrounding ecosystems and iconic caribou herds. Working towards the global goal of protecting 30% of lands and waters by 2030 needs to benefit and include everybody, and it is important that we protect another over 14% of BC by moving forward together,” added Ball.

Media Contact:
Max Winkelman
Communications Manager
max@cpawsbc.org
604-685-7445 x3

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New Interim Order fails to plug hole that dumps 32 billion litres of waste into B.C. ocean

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New Interim Order fails to plug hole that dumps 32 billions litres of waste into B.C. ocean

June 6, 2024

Unceded Coast Salish Territories (VANCOUVER, BC) – As coastal B.C. ecosystems and local communities brace for the annual cruise ship season, the Canadian Transport Ministry just released an “Interim Order” on cruise ship pollution that continues to permit the dumping of 32 billion litres of waste into the waters off the BC coast.

The holes in the interim measures were pointed out in a report released by Stand.earth and the Canadian Parks and Wilderness Society – British Columbia last month to guide the Transport Ministry towards protecting coastal waters and communities. It still stands.

“What is it going to take for the Transport Ministry to get serious about defending the coasts from pollution? This lazy cut-and-paste of last year’s Interim Order still permits 32 billion litres of sewage, and ships’ waste to be dumped annually – the equivalent of half the world flushing a toilet into the coastal waters off B.C.” said Anna Barford, shipping campaigner with Stand.earth. “The Transport Ministry had an opportunity to remedy this by extending the application of cruise ship discharge regulations to the entirety of Canada’s jurisdiction in the territorial sea, prohibiting the use of scrubbers under Canada’s jurisdiction, and putting into place regular, independent third-party monitoring while cruise ships are underway to ensure discharge requirements are met. They have ignored our recommendations to the detriment of marine life and coastal ecosystems and communities.”

Scrubbers are devices on ships to treat exhaust gasses. They take sulphur from fuel and dump it into the sea in the form of wastewater, essentially turning air pollution into water pollution. Greywater is wastewater from toilets, sinks, showers and appliances, like dishwashers and laundry machines. It is a significant source of microplastics.

“The Great Bear Sea is home to many threatened and vulnerable species as well as species that have great cultural and food importance. The dumping of this much wastewater is a massive threat to the animals and plants that live there, such as orcas and humpback whales, and also to the local communities that depend on a healthy and abundant ocean,” says Kate MacMillan, conservation director for the ocean program at the Canadian Parks and Wilderness Society – British Columbia Chapter.

Transport Canada’s original Interim Order from June 9, 2023 allowed vessels to continue to discharge sewage, greywater and scrubber wastewater along the B.C. coast and inlets. The entire Great Bear Sea, including the proposed Marine Protected Area (MPA) Network, is not protected from the dumping of this scrubber wastewater. Transport Canada changed nothing this year.

“Additionally, this interim order seems to contradict Canada’s Marine Protected Areas (MPA) Protection Standard which looks to prohibit ocean dumping in MPAs. With an MPA Network being planned for the Great Bear Sea, the future health and resilience is being put at risk,” says MacMillan.

The report that Stand.earth and CPAWS-BC released last month found that approximately 35% of the proposed MPA Network is open to the discharge of untreated sewage and greywater through unregulated “toilet bowls”. Additionally, specific geographic exemptions potentially permit the discharge of sewage and greywater along the entirety of the Great Bear Sea’s complex coastlines.

The report made multiple recommendations such as legally requiring cruise ships to have holding tanks that are of adequate size and eliminating the exemption that permits cruise ships to discharge in areas where the shores are narrower than six nautical miles wide.

“The Transport Ministry has so far ignored us about this. They have even ignored reporters about this. They cannot, however, ignore the local communities demanding cleaner waters, or the science which is clear about the impacts of cruise ship dumping on the endangered Southern Resident Killer Whales”

Link to the report.
Link to the report release.

Contact:
Kate MacMillan,
Conservation Director, Ocean Program
CPAWS-BC
604-685-7445 x 6
kate@cpawsbc.org

Anna Barford
Canada Shipping Campaigner
Stand.earth.
+1 604-757-7029
anna@stand.earth

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Community Spotlight: Meadowlark Nature Festival

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Community Spotlight: Meadowlark Nature Festival

Over the May long weekend, our Land and Freshwater team travelled to the nxʷəlxʷəltantət (South Okanagan-Similkameen) to participate in the Meadowlark Nature Festival. CPAWS-BC has worked with partners in the region over the past two decades to expand protection for the increasingly endangered grasslands, with our work focusing particularly on the proposed South Okanagan-Similkameen National Park Reserve and more recently the nʔaysnúlaʔxʷ (Ashnola) sPA (sməlqmíx Protected Area).

Grasslands in BC have more species at risk than any other ecosystem in the province. They cover just 1% of the province, but are home to 30% of at-risk species in BC, such as the burrowing owl and bighorn sheep, making them one of the most important conservation priorities in BC.

It was amazing to visit protected areas, connect with supporters, talk about the urgent conservation needs of endangered grasslands, and see people participating in a fantastic art session with Ullus Collective Indigenous artists.

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Where the Four Sacred Ecosystems Connect

A journey to protect the Ashnola River Corridor

On Saturday morning we travelled from our base in Penticton, 60 kilometres southwest to the nʔaysnúlaʔxʷ (Ashnola) sPA (sməlqmíx Protected Area) just outside of Keremeos.

Rob Edwards, Lauren Terbasket and Rheana Marchand from the Lower Similkameen Indian Band (LSIB) shared with us and Meadowlark festival participants, their journey to protect the Ashnola River Corridor (or watershed), home to one of the most endangered rivers in the province.

After living through the gradual but profound degradation of some of their lands and water from mining discharge, unsustainable forestry, hunting and other exploitative activities, the sməlqmíx people re-asserted their sovereignty and obligation to protect and conserve the waters and lands, through cultural revitalization and traditional knowledge, throughout the Similkameen watershed. In 2022, the Lower Similkameen declared the entirety of the Ashnola Watershed an Indigenous Protected and Conserved Area (IPCA).

In the summer of 2023, the largest forest fire in the valley since the 1800s, affected 40,000 hectares in the Ashnola sPA. The small team at the LSIB, having declared the IPCA only a year earlier, were already busy implementing conservation and management plans. Now they are also undertaking restoration work to manage the aftermath of the fires and replant millions of tree and shrub seedlings to stabilize and ensure safety around the steep slopes of popular recreation areas.

As we walked around the Ashnola campground and sməlqmíx Protected Area, we learned about the unique grassland shrubs like snowbrush and bitterroot and were able to smell the rain on the parched earth. We were filled with a deep sense of gratitude for their dedication and determination to keep pushing forward to protect and steward these breathtaking lands.

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Coexisting with fire

Learning from a wildfire expert

On Saturday evening, back in Penticton at the Okanagan College, we joined Tour 35 – Learning to Coexist with Wildfire in BC led by eminent scholar and UBC Professor of Forest & Conservation Science Lori Daniels.

As the province grapples with the aftermath of the 2023 wildfires, such as the one that went through the Ashnola Valley as we had seen earlier that day, a shift to diversified, evidence-based, adaptive and proactive landscape management, based on science and community knowledge, is critically needed, according to Daniels.

Her presentation called for transformative changes to forest management and highlighted the importance of cultural connections to the land and reintroducing indigenous forest management practices. It echoed what we had heard earlier in the day. Daniels also noted that cultural and prescribed fire removes the build up of plant material and reduces the intensity of naturally occurring wildfires, while also promoting health and resiliency of the land.

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Because we are beautiful – ałi kʷu swiwinumpta

Making art with grassland materials

On Sunday morning we gathered together in the gardens of Leir House for a session led by Victoria Jaenig of Ullus Collective Indigenous artists to learn the art of making dragonflies from traditional locally collected grasses and leaves (as well as some more contemporary materials).

This session provided another way for us to connect with the grasslands we had been learning about.

This event was also a great opportunity to engage in conversations with attendees about the work that CPAWS-BC and partners have been undertaking in the region and highlighted the important relationship between preserving cultural connections to the land and healthy ecosystems.

Ullus Collective has been creating a place to gather and cultivate the unique arts practices of sqilxw artists for over four decades and it was a privilege to be able to spend the morning together.

Our journey home on Highway 3, took us past a dusty white mountain peak, scarred by mining activity, not far from the Ashnola protected area. It underscored the importance of the ongoing work to protect the Ashnola watershed and the nearby proposed South Okanagan-Similkameen National Park Reserve.

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Operations update April 2024

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Welcoming Growth & Renewal!

April 17, 2024

With our sights set on achieving 25% protection by 2025 and counting down to the ambitious 30% by 2030 target, CPAWS-BC is embarking on a transformative journey to restructure and grow our organization. This strategic transformation makes us more agile, efficient, and impactful in safeguarding Nature in BC.

Over the last few months, we’ve seen a number of big and exciting announcements from the government to advance conservation in BC.

A $300 million Nature Conservation fund was announced, the over $1 billion Trilateral Framework Agreement for Nature Conservation set the stage for significant action on the biodiversity crisis and leadership in conservation and another $60 million was announced for Indigenous-led stewardship and sustainable development across the Great Bear Sea.

At a panel discussion during our fall art and conservation event, Precipice, Minister of Water, Land and Resource Stewardship Nathan Cullen said that he feels confident that over the next 18 months, we will see the most profound era of conservation and a shift in the dynamic of authority and land governance in this province.

In recent weeks, we’ve seen further action to this effect with BC signing a landmark agreement recognizing Haida Nation title over Haida Gwaii as well as interim measures halting mineral claim registrations and mining activities in the territories of the Gitxaała and Ehattesaht First Nations.

It’s an incredibly exciting time in conservation and we’re proud of the supportive role we’ve been able to play in all of this so far.

As we join in this momentum to meet 30% protection by 2030, CPAWS-BC is embarking on a strategic realignment to restructure and grow our organization in support of these goals over the next 6 years. We strive to be a leader not only in BC conservation but in corporate and non-profit leadership, too.

We took our first step when we announced our journey to a 4 day work week in February. Now we’re excited to take another one as we restructure our departments and create new internal opportunities and positions to support our growth and impact!

Join us in congratulating our newly appointed Conservation Directors, Kate MacMillan (Ocean Program) and Tori Ball (Land and Fresh Water Program). Kate and Tori, who have both been with CPAWS for many years, have been pivotal in advancing conservation efforts throughout the province. Stepping into these new senior leadership roles, they will spearhead the identification of critical conservation opportunities, drive innovation, and lead the charge toward enhanced protection of BC’s interconnected marine, terrestrial, and freshwater ecosystems. We’re also thrilled to announce the appointment of Sarah McNeil as our Operations Director. Sarah will play a critical role in ensuring the seamless functioning of our organization as we expand and pursue our mission. The combined vision, experience, and expertise of this dedicated leadership team will play an important role in advancing conservation efforts in BC.

But that’s not all! We’re celebrating the promotion of Carlo Acuña and Jacob Chila to key roles within our team. Carlo, now the Senior Campaigner (Ocean Program) and Jacob, now the GIS Specialist (Ocean Program), will continue to drive our mission forward with their passion and expertise.

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Thank you, Carlo, Jacob, Kate, Sarah, and Tori for the energy, innovation and passion you bring to the CPAWS-BC team. We’re so grateful to work with you and look forward to seeing you thrive in your new roles!

We also extend special thanks to our supporters and donors who have been an important part of this journey. It is with your continued support of our campaigns and commitment to our mission that we are able to take these important steps to advance conservation in BC.

Meaghen McCord, Executive Director

Meaghen McCord, Executive Director

Photo of Mama Inlet. Photo Credits: Markus Thompson

Five Things To Know About the Great Bear Sea Marine Protected Area Network

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Five Things To Know About the Great Bear Sea Marine Protected Area Network

Earlier this year, we celebrated that 15 Indigenous Nations, BC, and Canada endorsed the Great Bear Sea Marine Protected Area Network Action Plan. What did this mean exactly?

Here are 5 things you should know about the Great Bear Sea Marine Protected Area Network:

1) Many years, many voices

The Great Bear Sea Marine Protected Area Network was created collaboratively by Indigenous and coastal communities from North Vancouver Island, along the Central Coast to the North Coast and across to Haida Gwaii. 

For over 10 years, there have been many meetings and conversations with people who live and work on the coast, including the fishing, tourism, and environmental sectors. 

Together, governance partners—First Nations, federal and provincial governments—and stakeholders have developed a plan that will protect the vibrant network of life in the Great Bear Sea for generations to come. 

Right: Photo of Coastal Guardian Watchmen collecting data on marine species 
Photo Credit: Georgia Lloyd-Smith

2) More fish in the ocean

Right now, we see fish populations in Pacific Canada at a fraction of their historical levels [1]. The Great Bear Sea Marine Protected Area Network is a tool to help rebuild fisheries and recover ecosystems, limiting catches of certain species should be coupled with protecting habitats where marine life feed, breed, and grow up. 

We can look at long-term studies from other areas to see the real and powerful benefits of marine protected areas for helping fisheries and improving food security. One example is the marine protected area network established in California a decade ago which has already shown encouraging results, including more and larger fish beyond the boundaries of the protected areas, including species targeted by fisheries [2][3]. Over the first 10 years, local fisheries either improved or stayed the same in terms of catch, effort and dollar value [4]. 

Left: Photo of a China Rockfish
Photo Credits: Ed Bierman (CC by 2.0); CDFW by Christy Juhasz (CC by 2.0)

3) Defence from many different threats

Marine protected areas limit activities that threaten marine life. Whether it’s the loss of critical ecosystems like cold water corals and sponges, seagrass and kelp or impacts on marine animals from ship dumping, we can reduce threats to ocean health by managing destructive human activities. Canada has committed to ban the most harmful activities in all marine protected areas, these include oil and gas, mining, bottom-trawling, and dumping. When the damage and destruction from these industrial activities is removed, these areas are refuges that better support marine life and whole ecosystems to adapt to other threats, such as warming waters and ocean acidification [5][6]. 

Right: Photo of ferry and dolphins swimming nearby.
Photo credit: Markus Thompson

4) Benefits far beyond the boundaries

Marine protected areas provide both direct and indirect benefits to local economies and beyond. Marine protected areas help rebuild and sustain fisheries. They’re a proven tool to help enhance community involvement and support marine tourism. Local economies also benefit from creating conservation-related jobs such as monitoring, management, and research [7][8].

Marine protected areas also protect the ecosystem services these areas provide, such as protecting key coastal habitats that reduce the vulnerability of communities to climate change threats such as storm damage, flooding and coastal erosion [9], and protecting and restoring kelp forest and seagrass meadows that help the sequestration of carbon [10]. Moreover, a healthy, safe, and thriving ocean uplifts cultural and spiritual values across generations. 

Left: Photo of humpback whale and kayakers
Photo credit: Markus Thompson

5) Supercharge conservation effectiveness!

Establishing a connected network of marine protected areas in the Great Bear Sea will defend and support a diversity of habitats. By establishing a network of marine protected areas rather than creating individual protected areas without considering the connections across the ocean, will supercharge their effectiveness. This is the opportunity to work together across communities and sectors to amplify the benefits of individual protected areas and ensure the large-scale processes that keep ecosystems and wildlife populations healthy will remain.

Right: Photo of Mama Inlet.
Photo Credits: Markus Thompson

What's next?

A healthy ocean full of fish, kelp, and whales, and is part of the legacy we want to leave for our children and grandchildren. 

After years of work to develop the draft action plan for the Great Bear Sea Marine Protected Area Network, the announcement in February 2023 meant that everyone can continue working on the details to make the plan a reality. Equipped with the long-standing process between Indigenous Nations and governments, input advisory tables with stakeholders, and feedback during the public consultations, we can build on these collaborations.

Debra Sinarta, Marine Research Coordinator
Kate MacMillan, Ocean Conservation Manager

Left: Photo of Mama Inlet.
Photo Credits: Markus Thompson

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CPAWS BC has been working with decision makers and stakeholders, including local communities and fishers, to support the Great Bear Sea Marine Protected Area Network for over 10 years , and we want to ensure that you know all about it. Over the next few months, we will be posting blogs about different topics related to this part of the ocean and what’s happening on and in the water.

Learn more about the Great Bear Sea at www.greatbearsea.org

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PRECIPICE: Artists are vital in climate and habitat loss discussions

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PRECIPICE: Artists are vital in climate and habitat loss discussions

A year ago we hatched a plan to create a real-world art exhibit and community space where we could mourn biodiversity loss in BC, honour animals and plants trying to survive in an extinction crisis and recognize the possibility for hope at a moment where we can glimpse positive shifts ahead. 

At Precipice: Changing the Course of the Extinction Crisis in BC we looked forward to what can be in BC – more Indigenous-led conservation; 30% of the province protected by 2030 and a resilient future. At Precipice we celebrated these opportunities, embraced hope and were filled with inspiration for the next leg of the journey to ensure decision-makers turn those promises into action.

We’ve shared some of the artists’ experiences here and we hope you’ll find hope and inspiration from them and their exquisite artwork as well as in some of the joyful moments of Precipice.

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Sarah Ronald

As an artist I was really happy to be invited to participate in Precipice because it aligned perfectly with my interest in connecting with the world beyond the gallery. It was an opportunity to present my work where it had the potential to have a positive impact in the broader community. Precipice was also a great opportunity to connect with fellow wildlife concerned artists and art collectors, as well as a variety of individuals working in the fields of conservation, science and private sectors.

Along with talking about my piece (and our problematic concept of wildlife relocation to address habitat loss and poor human behaviour around coexistence with wildlife), I spoke about the importance of art and storytelling in this current time on the planet. Artists are really important to include in the climate and habitat loss discussions because they can present data in inspiring and unique ways, and those pieces can further engage and create massive ripple effects in generating solutions.

Through this exhibition I was also able to listen and learn. For instance after hearing CPAWS staff in media interviews, I was inspired to take a closer look at the UN report about biodiversity loss and excellerating extinction rates – which will no doubt become influence for future artwork, which will bring further awareness and acknowledgment to the broader community.

For my particular piece in this exhibition, The Transference of Landsharks, the message is for each of us to personally and continually check how our behaviours impact the natural world in daily life. Even where our current culture sets us up for complacency, we need to choose not to be complacent – we need to choose to stay engaged and to make positive changes for the rest of our lives.  

If one loses sight of things, just consider that we are all living on clear cuts that were once massive healthy ecosystems: for this reason alone we have a responsibility to provide meaningful compassionate action towards all that is more-than-human.

You can check out Sarah’s work at sarahronald.com or on Instagram @sarahronaldartist.

Grace Lee

Being part of this group exhibit at Precipice was such a meaningful experience as it showed the passion and dedication to environmental preservation that many of us are fiercely protective of.

Many conversations revolved around setting an intention with the Daruma dolls to make change and taking that first step and promise to further the work needed to protect our environment & wildlife.

I hope that the Darumas set a daily reminder that every day matters.

It’s not only about setting a goal to take action but committing to it and following through for the sake of our land, waters and wildlife.

You can Check out Grace’s work at eikcamceramics.com

 

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Cherry Archer

Participating in Precipice was thoroughly rewarding. The curator had a clear vision. She assembled an engaging and informative group of speakers and workshops. I had the opportunity to present alongside talented artists. Each body of work complimented the next. I felt supported and had an excellent time presenting my workshop.-

The best way to keep informed on her work is to follow ger Instagram @cherry.archer

My work can also be found at:

Clare Wilkening

It was great to meet and make a connection with the other artists and the team that put together the show.  During the opening, watching people interact with the Orca Tiles, take the time to absorb the piece, read all the text tiles and look closely at the individual orcas in their family groups, was really moving.  I could tell from watching and speaking to people that they came away from the work with an emotional resonance and deeper knowledge of the way the Southern Residents live and what can be done to help prevent their extinction.  With the Fraser River Sturgeon, people had a big reaction to how striking the work is, and that draws them in to learn more about this mysterious species who is our neighbour.  Sturgeon in the Fraser have fairly robust population numbers, but most of the population is old; there are not enough juveniles to sustain the future numbers of this long-lived species.  It’s unknown why there are so few juveniles, but part of the reason may be the stress of the catch-and-release fishery- stress can disrupt spawning biological processes and behaviours.  Fishers have already voluntarily stopped fishing in certain areas during spawning season, but maybe more needs to be done.  I had a sturgeon facts card next to the sculpture, and I equally enjoyed watching people read that as I did watching people absorb the Orca Tiles.  
 
Some great conversations I had included talking with MP Jenny Kwan about ceramics and about these species, as well as being interviewed by Sheryl McKay for CBC: North by Northwest. 
 
A major issue that the Southern Resident Orca currently face is the proposed expansion of the Deltaport/Roberts Bank terminal.  This construction would greatly increase freighter traffic through the Salish Sea, which brings with it noise pollution (making it harder for the orca to locate prey), risk of ship strikes, and additional pollution from the vessels themselves and risk of oil spills.  Construction would also destroy large areas of eelgrass in the underwater shore along the bank and the estuary- this is crucial habitat for migrating juvenile salmon, the orca’s primary food source.  You can write to your MP, to Ministers Guilbeault (Environment), Alghabra (Transport), Lebouthillier (Fisheries & Oceans), Freeland (Deputy Prime Minister), and Trudeau (PM), and let them you do not support this port expansion and why.  You can also visit https://georgiastrait.org/work/species-at-risk/proposed-terminal-2-deltaport-expansion-2/ and  https://www.againstportexpansion.org to learn more. 
 
You can find Clare’s work at her open studio Oct. 19-21 in Roberts Creek for the Sunshine Coast Art Crawl. She will be vending her ocean-themed pottery at Make It Vancouver at the PNE December 7-10th, and on clarewilkening.com or on Instagram @clarewilkening.ceramics.
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Adea Chung

It was an honour to be part of Precipice and among such inspiring and passionate artists. I generally make small jewellery and home wares, having the opportunity to do something on a larger scale for the show was such a treat.
 
Adea’s work can be found at: The Billy Would store 2168 E. Hastings St. Vancouver, BC or visit billywould.com.
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